TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Moeldoko boasts of feats during tenure
With his retirement less than a month away, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen
Change Size
W
ith his retirement less than a month away, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Moeldoko has claimed that the military is in better shape today than when it was when he assumed the position.
During a meeting with House of Representative Commission I on security and foreign affairs, Moeldoko claimed that remuneration for military personnel had increased 56 percent and that the base salary had increased 6 percent.
Citing a recent survey by Jakarta-based pollster Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), Moeldoko said that under his leadership the TNI had grown into one of the most trusted institutions in the country.
On the issue of the TNI's primary weapons system, he claimed that the military had achieved 34 percent of the minimum essential defense power.
'Even though we only achieve 34 percent of the minimum essential power, today we have a tremendous power of armed forces,' he said, adding that his successor could further boost the figure to 68 percent.
Moeldoko also said that one of the most notable achievements during his tenure was participating in the rescue mission for the crashed AirAsia QZ 8501 in December last year.
He considered the success of the operation TNI's biggest achievement during his tenure.
'We managed to find victims of AirAsia within a short period of time,' he said.
Lawmakers have applauded Moeldoko for the achievements made during his three years in office.
Commission I chairman Mahfudz Siddiq of the Prosperous Justice Party said Moeldoko had achieved all the targets that he set out during his confirmation hearing in 2013.
'It did not take long for Gen. Moeldoko to make a breakthrough in TNI,' Mahfudz said.
In spite of his success, Moeldoko is likely to be best remembered for his abrasive style.
During his tenure, Moeldoko made a number of controversial statements.
In May, he said that only female TNI personnel in Aceh could wear hijab.
'We have decided there is no prohibition [on wearing the hijab]. If [you] want to wear the hijab then [you will be] transferred to Aceh. End of discussion,'
He also made a controversial comment on Rohingya refugees, saying that they would only cause social ills in the country.
'We still have many problems in our country, and should not be burdened by this [Rohingya] problem,' he said.
In April last year, Singaporean media ran a story on Moeldoko's lavish wristwatch collection.
The first report about Moeldoko's opulent watches appeared on Singapore-based lifestyle website themillenary.com. In its article, the Army general was seen wearing a Richard Mille RM 011 Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph 'Black Kite' during a recent interview with the Singapore-based Channel News Asia.
Moeldoko responded by saying that he only purchased knock-off watches. (ind)
